How to decrease your cancer risk right now

It\’s scary time on Eating To Live…just in time for Memorial Day, even! I\’m sure it won\’t be this way often, so don\’t assume I\’ve gone dark or anything.

Cancer is honestly one of those things you can\’t talk about without a collective hush coming over the room. It\’s a plague that\’s taken too many of my friends and affected too many of my family. And it\’s on the rise.

WebMD reports worldwide cancer rates are going to jump more than 75% by 2030.  In the U.S. specifically, obesity related cancers such as breast cancer and colon cancer are expected to rise, and the blame is increasingly falling on our diet.

Our food, in many cases, is killing us, and a 2007 World Cancer Research Fund review of 7,000 clinical studies says it\’s LITERALLY killing us.

The review, which I\’ve only read recently, thanks to Holly Lee\’s nutrition blog, essentially says that processed meat should be stricken from your diet right now in order to reduce your cancer risk.

In fact, the study reported that every 50 gram serving (roughly 1 hot dog) eaten per day increases colorectal cancer risk by 21 percent. Yes, you read that right. As a result, the study recommends people simply avoid processed meat.

Why processed meats?

The two big chemical offenders here are Sodium Nitrite and Monosodium glutamate (MSG). Sodium Nitrite is a color additive used to make meats look bright red and more fresh, and MSG adds an addictive savory flavor to make even long-packaged processed meats taste good.

Both are horrible for you and are linked to both a sharp rise in colorectal cancer risk as well as neurological disorders, obesity and other serious health conditions.

Still not convinced?

A separate study, published in 2005 by Hawaii University, reports that eating processed meats increases pancreatic cancer risk by 67%. That makes you almost SEVEN TIMES more likely to get pancreatic cancer, which, if you didn\’t know, has a five-year survival rate of less than 5%.

I\’m not a vegan evangelist by any means. I\’m on my diet out of necessity. I\’ve adopted this strict diet in order to fight the Coronary Artery Disease that would otherwise have surgeons sawing open my chest. I\’m sure that a vegan diet can improve your health, but I know it\’s not for everyone.

I will, however, say this. If you\’ve never had a doctor give you a bad prognosis, you won\’t understand the regret and the self-hatred that comes when you realize your disease is something you could\’ve easily prevented. I\’ve been there, and it\’s a bummer of a ride.

Because I honestly care about you four faithful readers, I hope you never take it.

Further reading:

• Sodium Nitrite In Processed Meats Causes Cancer (Yahoo Editorial)
• Processed Meat Increases Cancer Risk (Natural News)
• Things You Need To Know About Deli Meats (Today Show)
• Hot Dogs and Cancer Risk (American Institute for Cancer Research)